Saturday, December 12, 2015

ARC Review: Rolling in the Deep by Rebecca Rogers Maher

Rebecca Rogers Maher is a new to me author, so I didn't know at all what to expect with Rolling in the Deep. I ended up really liking it and this is one of those times that it was totally worth taking a chance on an author that I am not familiar with. This story was sweet and heartwarming, and I really liked the majority of the characters here. Rebecca Rogers Maher is definitely an author that I will be looking for more from in the future.

Holly Ward does her best to provide for her son after getting a divorce from his father. Though she works hard and wishes she could provide more for him, there is little room for anything beyond necessities. Working at her local big box store, she is drawn to the new guy Ray. Though she knows she should focus on her son, she can't help but feel a connection to Ray. So when Holly and Ray get to talking about their lives, they decide to go in on a lottery ticket together. Ray likes Holly and wants to get to know her better, so when the opportunity presents itself he offers to split the ticket thinking that it could lead to more between them. But when the numbers are in and they find themselves as the sole winners of the lottery, things quickly get complicated.

I liked these two characters a lot. Holly was strong and kind, and such a great mother! She couldn't provide the life she wished she could for her son and she wanted to do so much more for him, and yet she always made sure that he knew how much she loved him and that she wanted him to be happy. It was so good to see something so amazing happen to her knowing the type of person she was. She helped others out and was just a genuinely good person who had been dealt some bad cards in life. She never complained though, so it just made it that much sweeter when she won. Ray was a really great guy, and I liked him instantly. He was sweet and kind, and I loved that he was so adorable and awkward at times. He wanted to take things further with Holly, yet he also didn't really know how to at times and was afraid that he would scare her off. It was really cute, and I loved how he was with her. These two had a great connection and I really loved how well they got on right from the start. They were so much fun to read about, and I really liked seeing their relationship build on the chemistry and attraction that drew them in from the start.

Overall, this was a good book and I really liked reading it. This book was a quick read that I would definitely recommend to those in the mood for something heartwarming and easy to lose yourself in. The characters were all great (well except Holly's complete jerk of an ex, Brett) and I liked how strong their relationships were in this book. Holly was close to her friend Beth, and it was good to see that nothing had changed that. Beth had been by her side through everything, and I loved how she made Holly see things that she might not have without Beth. I also really loved Ray's brother Tony, and I am so excited that he and Beth are getting their own story in Just Give Me a Reason! The one complaint that I had though was that the ending was a little abrupt here. I wanted more and thought that things were wrapped up too quickly and a bit too easily. This book was a really great surprise from an author I didn't know before though, but I can't wait to read more from Rebecca Rogers Maher in the future.